More about Rhodri Morgan, Welsh-speaking elite and Labour Brit Nat prejudices.

“Welsh Labour's vision for the Welsh language is a language that is open to everyone, owned by everyone in Wales, not a language that belongs to the elite."

This quote by Rhodri Morgan got us thinking. Labour's assertion that the Welsh language should belong to everyone not just the elite sounds like a great optimisitc rallying cry - that everyone in Wales should and could speak Welsh across all class, ethnic and cultural barriers. Who wouldn't, support that?

But what does it really mean? This is Welsh Labour-speak for making Welsh an even more marginal patois.

Welsh-speaking elite? As opposed to the English-speaking elite which includes the whole Labour Government's cabinet, heads of business, quangos
etc.

Who are these Welsh-speaking elite? Welsh language lecturers and academics no doubt, rather than honest people with grit under their nails. People like TJ Morgan, the eminent Welsh linguist and academic (and Rhodri Morgan's father) or Prys Morgan, the much admired historian (and Rhodri's brother.)

If any one is part of the 'Welsh-speaking elite' then Morgan it is. Which is the reason of course he puts on this awful boyo act and why, as a petulant rebelliion against his background, his Welsh became so poor.

Morgan's Welsh has of course improved since becoming Prime Minister of Wales. Maybe, he's starting to feel at home with being one of the Welsh-speaking elite. After all, if the Prime Minister of the country isn't a part of the elite, then who is?

No! In Welsh Labour-speak to 'get rid of the Welsh speaking elite' and make Welsh 'a language for everyone' means making sure there are no jobs for these Welsh-speaking elite and no status for the indiginous language of this country.

Jobs say in the media, so that they don't pounce around Pontcanna speaking Welsh as if it was the capital of Wales! After all, why should the head of BBC Wales have to speak Welsh as Llew Smith once asked. Is it not a problem that the head of a media corporation doesn't understand its own out-put?

Yes, that really is what it's all about. A large chunck of Brit Nat Labour prejudice is because of the Welsh-speakers in Pontcanna - how childish! British nationalist Labour people don't like Welsh-speakers in one ward in the whole of Wales and the whole blinking language is to be kicked. (if they read the Welsh press they'd see that most Welsh-speakers don't like them either!). Well, that's Labour's excuse today - what was the reason in the 1950s and 1960s when there was no Welsh media and Welsh had no status in its own country?

And what of those other Welsh-speaking elites? People in the arts, public relations, teachers? Get rid of them too because that's the only way to make Welsh a language for all? It's almost Maoist in its principle. To make Welsh a language for all you get rid of all bodies, professional or amateur, which work through the medium of the language.

And of course, we're lucky enough to have a shining example of the success of this kind of Maoist policy, where having no 'elite' speaking a language has made it a strong, dynamic, multi-ethnic language - it's called Breton.

Yes, if only we'd follow the example of the French state in regards to Britanny, where there is no Breton-speaking 'elite' in the media, arts, politics or business; where there is no education or status at all for the language. Then Welsh, like Breton, would be flourishing.

Who would speak or learn a language which doesn't have an elite? Would people speak English if it had no elite just because it was a 'beatiful language' and they wanted to read 'Beowolf' in the original? People speak aspirational languages. Brit Nats in Labour have no aspirations for the language, just breadcrumbs'

It's just the same old Labour British nationalism. Any successful language has some kind of elite (which one takes to mean people in power and influence). If it doesn't, it dies out - which is what nearly happened to Welsh until the Welsh nationalist movement learnt from other languages abroad.

This is why Labour Brit Nats (with literally a handful of exceptions) hark back to a 1950s Welsh-speaker; a weak and embarrased, forever forelock, pulling to the colonial English language; the kind of Welsh-speakers still in the Labour party.

Welsh-speaking elite? It's just anti Welsh colonialism isn't it boys? Dressed up in pseydo class jingoism. The same old British Nationalist Labour Party story.

It's not just BNW who thinks that Rhodri's a windbag.

We don't like being personal and nobody gets it right every time, but Rhodri windbag Morgan uses bluster and waffle as a political tool to avoid answering questions. That's his political tactic to browbeat opponents... trouble is the Welsh press are so insipid they give in to him.

It's therefore refreshing to see him become the first person to be awarded the unenviable Foot In Mouth prize twice by the Plain English Campaign for the following moronic quote:

"The only thing which isn't up for grabs is no change and I think it's fair to say it's all to play for, except for no change"

Worse than the waffle is the mock ‘boyo’ talk he gives us, patronising people by either stating the bleeding obvious or by giving us brown stuff about rugby.

That's made ten times worse when he combines it by coming over as a proud Welshman to the English press and media (see awful article in Guardian post Grandslam win 'I'd like to parlay this...' - eh?); whilst simultaneously caving in to the worst Brit Nat prejudice and self-serving careerists over more power to the Assembly.

In case you're wondering, he's not much better in Welsh either. Though his mutations and vocabulary did improve quite sharpish once he realised he may become PM of Wales.

Pity his kids don't speak Welsh though - so much for the proud Welshman and 'iaith pawb'. Maybe, as Leighton Andrews and other Labour Brit Nats believe, he didn't want Welsh to be an 'elitist' language and was just doing his part in not perpetuating the Welsh-speaking elite.

Though, Alun Michael - Wales' first 'First Minister' - and the man Morgan replaced, never the most inspiring speaker, to his credit made an effort to learn Welsh as an adult and send his five kids to Welsh-medium schools in Cardiff - unlike his constituency neighbour.

And it is a very good day... for British Nationalism

Looks like the Brit Nats won in the end. The new Government of Wales Bill gives no real new power to the Assembly, the number of AMs to be less than most county councils, a spiteful Ukrainian election policy, a two thirds vote of members needed just to ask for a referendum on more power, and then is it two or three hurdles in Westminster just to be able to ban smoking or do something useful or exciting. Heavens, life's too short for politics eh?

Don't know why Dafydd El is so pleased the place is going to be called a 'senedd'. It's just the usual sop to stupid Welsh people to make the humiliation feel a little better.

But the really good trick by the Labour Brit Nats? The Assembly, the Labour Assembly, is so useless that nobody would want more power for it. Excellent. Have a crap government and then you kill off any appetite for more.

And the other good trick by the Brit Nats? Throw in some spiteful bits in - like the Ukrainian election thing and other 'feel-bad' policies and unlike the 1997 Referendum, who in their right minds are going to form a broad coalition with Labour? Who would want to work with such a spiteful party? They'll only shaft you - like they did to the Richard Report.

Ron was wrong. Devolution was an event. British Nationalism is alive and well in the Wales Labour Party.

Welsh alone.

Want to feel like a foreigner in your own country - speak Welsh and see the reaction. This is what happens under British Nationalism, you can't speak your own language in your own country.



On a happier note, this S4C programme with London-raised Welshman Ifor ap Glyn is a lot of fun and shows that among the ignorant there are also loads of people in Wales who understand more Welsh than they realise.

Labour are now less left-wing than the Tories?

So, let's get this right. It took a coalition of Plaid, LibDems and Tories to help out pensioners who'd been hard hit by Labour's stealth tax rise through the Council Tax; to improve school meals for thousands of kids and also to give easier access to Welsh students to Welsh unversities?

If the three opposition parties hadn't cooperated on this budget and kept a tight-squeeze of Rhodri Morgan's goolies (hmm, maybe I shouldn't have used that metaphore ... Nick Bourne, Ieuan Wyn and Mike German holding, yes, erm, inaanycase) then those pensioners who'd been hard hit by Labour's stealth tax rise through the Council Tax; those improved school meals for thousands of kids and the easier access to Welsh students to Welsh unversities wouldn't have happened?

So, sorry to go on, I'm just curious. But those progressive compromises were won by a coalition of the 'right-wing-non-Nye-Bevan-hagiographers-they're-just-tories-in-disguise' Plaid and Lib Dems and erm, well, real life Tories as well? Yes that's it. Not Welsh Labour? Not Rhodri 'clear red water' Morgan.

Amazing.

Never mind, still not as amazing as those Welsh Labour members in Welsh Labour fantasy Land. Those Labour members and AMs of what is a right wing Christian Democrat party in everything but name (not that there's anything wrong with Christian Democracy either) can still taunt other party members as being right wing. Not that everything right wing is wrong either.

So, Labour are now less left-wing than the Tories? It really is just tribalism and class jingoism after all.

We praise the Welsh nationalists for working with two of the other British nationalist parties to defeat the Labour smugocracy.

Welcome to the Brit Nat spin zone

You may recall our story regarding the campaign Natwatch ran against Gwynedd Council ex employee Rhodri Tomos, which led to his resignation on September 1st.

Mr Tomos did indeed make the following comment in an email converstion with Natwatch:

“There's one thing lacking in your website - there's no mention of the Pwllheli Marina issue, probably the most embarrassing incident this year for Welsh nationalists.”

Little did Mr Tomos know how Natwatch, The Daily Post and Welsh Labour would ‘interpret’ this comment. Keep your hats on, you’re about to enter the Brit Nat spin zone:

Natwatch reported:

"Nat Watch has received correspondence from the Information and Research officer for Plaid-run Gwynedd Council Rhodri Tomos, who has told us that there are several 'embarrassing' truths waiting to be publicised regarding the actions of his own council."

The Daily Post reported:

"Rhodri Tomos allegedly told the Nat Watch site he could pass on 'embarrassing' details about plans to double moorings at Pwllheli marina."

Welsh Labour’s press realease said:

"…Website Nat Watch reports that Gwynedd press officer Rhodri Tomos has expressed concern about the way in which the Pwllheli Marina project was handled by his employers."

That’s enough of the spin, here’s the truth:

Mr Tomos never worked on the Pwllheli Marina project. Mr Tomos has never revealed any wrongdoing, regarding the Pwllheli Marina project or any other activity of Gwynedd council to anyone. To allege that Mr Tomos had offered Natwatch or anyone else 'embarrassing truths' about the Pwllheli Marina project is a complete lie.

It is a great shame that Mr Tomos felt the need to resign because of this matter. The Brit Nat Labour spin machine are solely to blame for his resignation. Yet again, this shows how vile the Brit Nats behave here in Wales, and their total disregard for the people.

Who runs Wales - Clarke or Morgan?

Once again Brit Nat Rhodri 'windbag' Morgan is left speechless and looking useless as the big boys in London tell him what's what. Clarke has decided Wales needs one police force and, erm, that's it.

You can argue about the merits of one force, the status quo or a national Welsh police force decentralised to regions or even counties, but this should and could be decided in Wales. By Rhodri Morgan. The Prime Minister of Wales. Or is that asking too much?

Maybe Clarke, like Bryant, just doesn't trust his own Labour AMs in Cardiff not to cock it up for them?

In any case, Morgan will have to go cap in hand again to London to ask for some say in the matter and plead that they at least pretend he's had some say in the matter. Oh, the joys of being a Brit Nat.

Rhodri Morgan - a Prime Minister who can't even decide how many paperclips his own police service can order. Has the man no self respect?

Labour MP says Labour AM's are Hopeless.

Here's a funny story, one Labour MP, Chris 'Superman' Bryant, says that his own party is crap.

Chris Bryant, the former Conservative who had to join Labour to stay where he was politically, has lambasted his own Labour party's running of the health service in Wales. Nye Bevan would be turning in his grave, blah, blah, blah!

It seems that Brit Nat Bryant can't get his head around the fact that Wales has its own half Parliament now. Nor can he understand that Rhodri 'Windbag' Morgan's, governance, in Cardiff Bay is not only useless it's a-political.

Bryant has a political philosophy - he's a Conservative. Fair enough. Morgan and the Brit Nat Welsh Labour Party have no philosophy. Its just anti-Welsh class jingoism with bribes for the core voters.

Bryant is right to question Morgan's back-of-a-beer-mat bribes, like the free buses, free school breakfast free brain transplants etc, etc. But come on Bryant, that's Welsh Labour for you - that's your party - and that's as good as it gets.

It's not about policies it's about bribes. Rhodri 'Windbag' knows he can knock-up as big a deficit as he wants and cock-up the whole country because in the end, London Labour will bail him out in case they lose Wales again to the Welsh Nats.

For the Brit Nats in Welsh Labour it's simple - we cock up, and someone else, somewhere else, will pay more taxes so our core voters get their bribes - we call it
Aneurinbevanknewmyfatherwelshlabourwalesforthegrandslam-socialism.
You've got to be stupid not to vote for them!

Bryant - get over it - you're part of the same party and you're part of the problem!

We are an independent state!

Fair play to FAW secretary general - David Collins - for strongly opposing the idea of Wales taking part in a GB football team at the next Olympics.

Wales should have its own team at the Olympics, in football, and every other sport! Here is what he had to say on the matter.

"We are a separate nation recognised throughout the world and we are a separate football association. We certainly don't want to jeopardise that status for the Olympic Games - it's a firm 'no' from us."

"We are a member of probably the four oldest football associations in the world and there have been moves in the past to bring the four nations together under a Great Britain team."

"Playing in the Olympics as one team would only fuel that concept and we don't want to put ourselves in that position. It's a 'no' from us, because I'm sure that if we conducted a poll throughout Wales most people would want us to stay independent from the other associations."

"We are an independent state and as far as we are concerned we are an independent association. If we joined a Great Britain team that could signal the start of losing our independence in world football and that's something we are not prepared to do."

If you agree with David Collins, why not place the above badge on your website?

Tory leadership chaos

It was reported in the Western Mail today that Brit Nat Tory leader in Wales - Nick Bourne - may be an illegitimate leader. The article questions the process in which he got the job in the first place.

Tory Councillor David Fouweather, said in the article:

"Nick Bourne has never been endorsed by the party membership in Wales as leader... I think it is time for someone else to take over the leadership. I don't think Nick Bourne has any popular appeal. He's not Welsh. People talk about Rhodri Morgan, they even talk about Mike German, but they don't talk about Nick Bourne."

Nick Bourne responded by saying:

"Does anyone seriously think we would have made the progress we have if we had continued with the previous hard-right and anti-Welsh agenda? The Conservatives are now back on the political map in Wales."

David Fouweather complains that Nick Bourne isn't Welsh, and therefore doen't have any popular appeal in Wales. Nick Bourne counters by stating that he has changed the party, and actually made the party more Welsh, and therefore more electable.

It's nice to see that the Brit Nat Conservatives are starting to realise that the people of Wales want Welsh, and not British, parties representing them at the Welsh Assembly.

Text referendum 4 Wales

The 'Real Referendum' on whether Wales should have its own law-making Parliament was launched yesterday by Ron Davies outside the National Assembly's new debating chamber.

The 'Real Referendum' will be different from conventional and old fashioned 'walking to your village hall' affair as it is asking people to vote by text, and will last for a month before the final White Paper, 'Better Governance for Wales' is released.

It will ask 1 simple question: Do you think Wales should have its own Law-making Parliament?

Voters will be asked to text 'Wales Yes' or 'Wales No' to 83010. Texts cost 25p + standard network charge. Only 1 text 'vote' will be recorded from each mobile phone. There is also a chance to vote in a seperate refferendum online at realreferendum.com

Leanne Wood AM, the youngest Plaid Cymru Assembly Member, was the first to vote in the text referendum - the 1st ever political referendum of its kind in the UK. Ms Wood commented:

"The old men in Westminster have let us down, so it's good to see the next generation standing up for proper voice for Wales. We want the people of Wales to choose whether they have a Parliament equal to Scotland's, not a handful of New Labour MPs."

We urge everyone to text 'Wales Yes’ to 83010, to show the British Nationalist New Labour Party that we are not happy with the current settlement, and that we need a full law-making Parliament immediately!

The CRE should stop promoting British Nationalism!

Here we go again. The CRE are wrapping themselves in the union jack and pushing new British Nationalism on us all.

The latest bout of Brit flag waving is because a high proportion of people from 'ethnic minority' backgrounds in England feel more British than their fellow white citizens (who strangely enough feel English).

With so many of their fellow citizens feeling English rather than British shouldn't the CRE start promoting an English identity rather than British nationalism? After all, reinforcing Britishness within the ethnic minority community will only further ghettoise that community from their fellow English citizens.

I know that Labour has a vested interest in Britishness for their own political ambition, but the CRE's job is to promote race toleration not British nation building and nationalism.

And is it any surprise that so many members of the ethnic minority communities feel uncomfortable with the notion of Englishness when the British left wing, until very lately, said Englishness = white racists?

In Wales (as in Scotland) the situation is different, with ethnic minority communities feeling more Welsh than British, and many calling themselves Welsh and NOT British, but this doesn't stop the CRE from ramming British Nationalism down our communities' throats as well.

The job of the CRE is not to become a new front in promoting British Nationalism. Nor is it it's job to suggest that British identity is better than a Welsh, Scottish, Cornish or English identity nor that Welsh people have to accept a British identity if they don't want to be branded racist. We shouldn't accept the forcing of this new British nationalism down our throats, whatever the colour of the speaker.

It's time to listen, Mr Pugh

Superb article by Steffan Cravos (Welsh Language Society Chairman) in the Western Mail today, in response to Brit Nat Alun Pugh's 'essay' in the same paper a few days earlier. Alun Pugh's essay was full of clichés, and lacked any real substance.

Alun Pugh opposes any calls for legislation, to ensure that Welsh speakers can use their own language in Wales. He constantly refers to private sector companies such as Ikea and Tesco, who do offer a limited Welsh language service, but doesn't refer at all to the 95% of companies in Wales who do not offer any services through the medium of Welsh.

What supporters of the Welsh language are calling for is equality. The right to services through the medium of Welsh, in exactly the same way as English speaker have the right to services through the medium of English.

His essay shows clearly that Alun Pugh, and his party, are only interested in protecting the 80% who do not speak Welsh, and don't give a toss about the minority who do.

Our language will die with people like Alun Pugh and Rhodri Morgan in charge, and it will be too late to complain when it's gone!

It's time to listen, Mr Pugh
Oct 29 2005
Steffan Cravos writes for the Western Mail

"WE SHALL be abstaining tonight because we hope to have the opportunity before long to do the job properly. That will be done when we revisit the question of a Welsh language measure when we are in Government."

So said Rhodri Morgan MP on the eve of the Westminster vote on the Welsh Language Act 1993. Some 12 years on, the Assembly Government intends to scrap the Welsh Language Board giving Mr Morgan, now First Minister, a real opportunity to honour his words.

Support is now gathering for new and radical legislation on the Welsh language. Alongside the rallies and direct action, John Elfed Jones, former chair of the very first Welsh Language Board, has stated that the time has come for a new Welsh Language Act.

Press here to read the full article on icwales.co.uk

Welsh, Scottish and English Olympic Teams.

In September, Plaid Shadow Culture Minister Owen John Thomas called on Brit Nat Culture Minister Alun Pugh to commission a survey to assess the demand for Wales to field its own team at the 2012 Olympics in London. He said:

"In a recent survey carried out in Scotland (by C-scOT), 78% of those questioned were in favour of a Scottish team competing in London's 2012 Olympic Games. Cleary they recognised that a national team would provide greater opportunities for Scottish athletes to experience the thrill and competitiveness of these ancient Games".

Since then C-scOT (The Campaign for a Scottish Olympic Team) have launched a website which states:

"C-ScoT has been set up by ordinary Scottish sports fans to ensure that the Olympic philosophy, can be harnessed; to bring maximum and enduring benefit to Scottish sport, Scotland’s people, its culture and its health; using the forthcoming focus on London’s hosting of the games as a catalyst."

The Campaign for an English Olympic Team was also launched last month, asking:

"why there is a British Olympic team when the people of the British Isles consider themselves to be English, Scottish or Welsh and not British."

The Brit Nat Labour and Conservative Parties in Wales and Scotland have already opposed any calls for a Scottish or Welsh Olympic Team. They claim that Wales and Scotland don't have the talent to have their own Olympic teams, and that Scotland and Wales shouldn't get above their own particular station.

SNP culture spokesman Michael Matheson recently hit the nail on its head when he said:

"For those who believe that we'd be better off under the GB system, that strikes me as an argument for abolishing any form of independent representation on the international field... Let's get rid of the Scottish football team, the Scottish rugby team, let's get rid of the Scottish Commonwealth Games Team, because we'd all be better to do it under the GB flag - if you want to believe that particular argument."

Wales, Scotland and England SHOULD have their own Olympic teams as a matter of principle. There is no barrier preventing Wales from competing as a nation at the Olympics. The current 202 National Olympic Committees included 13 non UN-recognised nations, and in reality, there is nothing stopping Wales from forming its own National Olympic Committee. The Olympic Charter states:

"Although most National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are from nations, the IOC also recognises independent territories, commonwealths, protectorates and geographical areas."

It's about time a campaign was lauched in Wales. If you can help to set-up 'The Campaign for a Welsh Olympic Team', please contact us.

How usless is our National Assembly?

Out of 10, how useless is the Labour governed National Assembly? What ever the score, it must be pretty useless. It's led by a government which can't govern because of it's arrogance to go into coalition, and because it doesn't have a coherent policy for the country except for Blairism with gimmicks and bribes.

The very uslessness of the Assembly under Labour (it is Labour's Assembly don't forget!) is lit up in neon with this week's debate about banning smoking in public places. The Assembly voted to make Wales smoking-free two years ago.

Unfortunately, because the British Nationalists Labour party under Rhodri 'Windbag' Morgan didn't want to implement the Richard Report, we're still left coughing ourselves to death.

The Westminster government (which is increasingly becoming the English Parliament - which we support) is now about to debate smoking in public places. No doubt, Wales will get the fag-end of the debate when they've finished.

Better wait until the grown-ups in London debate this before we take a decision, we don't want to rock the boat do we? After all, we are part of England&wales!

But, honest to God. How useless and anti-Welsh are Labour? What's the point of this Assembly? If any issue could be sorted out in Cardiff (even by Welsh Labour), then banning smoking in public places it is.

But, no, for the Labour Brit Nats in Wales, it seems that it's better to have lung cancer than self-government.

Welsh Assembly Budget

Following our story last Friday, we are glad to say that Brit Nat Labour leader - Rhodri Morgan - has done a u-turn on the small matter of setting a budget for the Welsh Assembly. He has already met with the opposition leaders, with another meeting due within the next few weeks.

It's good to see that Rhodri has realised that the Brit Nat Labour Party haven't got a divine right to rule in Wales and that, as the leader of a minority Government, he must discuss these important issues with the opposition parties in order to reach a compromise.

Plaid Cymru Assembly Leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said in the Western Mail:

"It appears to us that there is a will-ingness to work hard to achieve a settle-ment... We detected a big shift in the government's position. All we want is for the government to respect the amendment that was carried and make sure it's reflected in the draft budget which comes back before November 15."

Englandwales Nationalists.

Recent events within the Wales Labour Party have got us thinking that we should change the name of this blog. A large segment of the Labour party in Wales aren't British nationalists at all... they're Englandandwales nationalists.

You know, you've heard of Serbia and Montenegro, you've read about President Lukashenka wanting his country – Belarus – to join with mother Russia, well, welcome to Englandandwales. Is it a nation, is it a bird, is it a flag of convenience, what is it? Moreover, it seems that the Labour Party in Wales doesn't even have a coherent philosophy for Wales let alone a long-term policy.

This came startlingly obvious during the debate this week about the reorganisation of the police forces in Wales. Peter Hain, Northern Ireland and part-time Wales Secretary announced that the existing four police services should be amalgamated and brought under London control. Others within the party want the forces to stay as they are and brought under Assembly control (as are the ambulance and fire service). One could also make a viable case for creating a national service (Wales isn't a very big country after all, as we're constantly reminded) with accountability then also decentralised lower down to say county level. These are all policies that Brit-Nat-Watch will leave to others to discuss.

However, what concerned us was hearing the comments of Wayne David MP (the former MEP and the man that lost the Rhondda in 1999) on Sunday's Waterside. David was arguing that the police should stay under London control, because, erm, well, we're under the same legal system, unlike Scotland (or, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands). David may recall that we also had our own highly developed legal system until it was abolished during the colonial Act of Union in 1536 and 42 when we became, and still are, a part of the 'Realm of England'. A situation he seems happy to keep.

What kind of a Welshman wouldn't want the Assembly to control the police force of his country? Would a police force controlled by Cardiff be so stupid as not to cooperate closely with its English and international colleagues?

We use this debate as an example, because it's part of a growing movement within Labour MPs in Wales, with a few notable exceptions, they just want to keep everything in London. What is it? Are Welsh Labour MPs afraid that if more power goes to Cardiff, that people will suddenly start to question why we are sending a bunch of chinless wonders to enjoy the best club in London (whilst, no doubt, telling their constituents, a la Nye Bevan, how they hate the big city).

Or, do they think so little of their own party members, and AMs who govern the Assembly, that they don't trust them to look after their children's education, the health service or police force (as one Labour member alluded to me)? Or is there actually some latent internalised colonialism and self-hate beneath the whole thing in that Wales, or anything from Wales, is by definition useless or second-class to anything from London?

Or is it simpler than that? Had David been elected as Rhondda AM in 1999, and was now an Assembly (and possibly cabinet) member, would he be advocating that the Assembly should have control over the police? It seems that they just want power and a job, and bugger any philosophy or political agenda!

Letters in the Western Mail

Some superb letters in the Western Mail today:

Wales needs voice

SIR - I must reply to Huw Lewis AM ("Tackling poverty", Western Mail, October 12). He wrote that Leanne Wood AM enjoys word games about who secured Objective One funding for Wales.

I feel that who got Wales and other regions of the UK to the situation of needing this funding is of more concern to us all.

That lays at the feet of the Westminster Governments of all colours and their economic strategies for London and South East England.

The UK being regarded as the fourth biggest economy in the world should be ashamed that any of its regions should qualify for aid.

Westminster cannot stop the inequalities it has caused, we cannot trust them to get the aid to the regions that need it. That is why Wales needs a voice direct to Europe.

DB HOPKINS
Eaglesbush Valley, Neath

---

Undemocratic policy

SIR - Once again we witness how the control freaks of New Labour have been at it again. Their decision to outlaw Assembly candidates from seeking election on both a constituency and list basis was always more to do with political gain for New Labour and nothing to with voter confusion.

Now the Electoral Commission has reported that New Labour's plans have no justification and would hand an unacceptable advantage to New Labour. Furthermore, in a comparative study the Commission reports that of the 30 countries that have a two-tier electoral system, the only one to have outlawed dual candidacy was pre-2002 Ukraine, hardly a bastion of democracy.

The question is now will New Labour do the admirable thing and reverse this fundamentally undemocratic policy?

SUSAN JONES
Llandysul, Carmarthenshire

---

Undemocratic power

SIR - The democratic deficit in our country once again raises its head with Peter Hain's announcement that he tends to favour a merger of Welsh police forces into one body. He also rules out devolving responsibility for policing to the National Assembly.

Why do we put up with a system of government under which a single Minister can determine policies of such great public interest.

Surely our own Assembly is the appropriate democratically elected forum to debate, consult, and decide on the shape of policing in our country?

PAUL SAMBROOK
Eglwyswrw, Pembrokeshire

Don't patronise us Alexander.

Brit nat Labour MP and Government minister, Douglas Alexander, is the latest Labour MP to push British Nationalism on us.

His recent comments that the European Union shouldn't be allowed to submerge national (erm, British I assume, not Welsh, Scottish nor English) identity is just the latest in a long line of British nationalist 'nation building' rhetoric from the Labour smugocracy.

There is a very strong argument (political, economic, moral and of identity) against the further deepening of the EU, but I can hardly see how the European idea is a threat to my Welsh identity.

It's certainly less of a threat than the British nationalist nonsense being forced on us by New Labour. British negates Welsh identity with its 'national' British team in the Olympics (therefore no Welsh team), a British seat in the EU means there's no Welsh seat and the 'British' language aka English, is a massive threat to Welsh.

All these fears of course are narrow-minded racist rhetoric to Labour. It's odd, therefore, that Labour British nationalists now use similar terms to promote their British nationalism - what's wrong, now that they don't believe in socialism, are they looking for another philosophy?

It's also odd to see the Scottish MPs, Alexander, Brown et al, who are turning out to be the biggest British Nationalists. What's wrong, afraid that if the UK goes down the pan, their careers will follow?

I always thought the Scots were an intelligent nation. If they were independent, they'd enjoy the same standard of living and services as Norway. But, no, British nationalist MPs like Alexander and Brown would rather enjoy the limelight of Westminster; Scotland it seems is too small for their 'talent'.

So, they use Scottish nationalist arguments they've heard back home, replace Scottish with British and hey presto, it's all sold as good, clean, inclusive British nation building. Alexander, don't patronise us!

English - a nationality which has disappeared from the media

A great article appeared in the Guardian today by Mark Lawson. He talks about how the English, as a nationality, has disappeared from the media in recent years to be replaced by British. It's well worth a read.

Renaissance for the nationality that dared not speak its name
The plaudits heaped on artists from Harold Pinter to Nick Park show that Englishness is no longer a handicap.

There seems to be little immediate connection between Gromit, the always-silent Plasticine dog, and the intermittently silent playwright Harold Pinter. But their coincidental triumphs abroad - the former topping the American box office with his first full-length movie and the latter becoming a Nobel laureate - are part of a striking redefinition and renaissance of English culture.

For at least a decade the grumpy assumption in the senior common rooms of English-speaking culture has been that, because of progressive politics and historical resentments, no white Briton or American would ever again win the literary Nobel. And film-makers believed that movies from the UK had to genuflect to America in their look (the permanent Dickensian Christmas of Richard Curtis movies) and casting (Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings) to succeed.

But, within a few days, both prejudices have been overturned by the international acclaim for The Birthday Party and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, scripts which do not aim for any universality of reference but are both as English, in their way, as kippers for breakfast in a seaside B&B. I don't make this point out of any primitive patriotism but because these successes represent a fascinating shift in cultural politics which, at home and abroad, has made art from Albion fashionable and even radical.

In a week when a novel by the Irish writer John Banville took the Man Booker prize amid critical disdain, the two serious books gaining the real attention and sales are Alan Bennett's memoir Untold Stories, a forensic account of life in northern England, and 85-year-old PD James's The Lighthouse, which must stand as one of the last in the line of classic English detective fiction. And the startlingly warm tributes to Ronnie Barker, cremated on Thursday, memorialise and hope to immortalise a form of comedy rooted deep in English soil.

Yes, not "British" but "English", a nationality which has almost disappeared from the media in recent years. If Muriel Spark had received the call from Stockholm on Thursday, she would rapidly have been identified as a "Scottish" laureate, emails and letters quickly descending if southern journalism had claimed her for the wider kingdom. Similarly, Paul Muldoon would have been "Irish" or "Northern Irish". But Pinter, in broadcast bulletins and most newspaper reports, was persistently "British".

The point was often made, during the years of referendums and assemblies, that, while it became bad form not to stress the separateness of the Welsh and Scots, it was established as extreme bad manners to treat the English as a race apart. But writing style is shaped so strongly by the experience of specific speech and places that, in literature, this division of rule is seriously misleading.

Pinter and his plays are vitally and recognisably English in exactly the same way that Spark and Muldoon derive central elements of sensibility and vocabulary from Scotland and Ireland. Equally branded by exact nationality is the work of Bennett, James, Barker and Nick Park, the genius behind Wallace & Gromit. In fact, though their current prominence in the news and arts is a pure accident of events and release dates, it's striking how much their work has in common.

Strangely ritualised afternoon teas and the seediness of seaside boarding houses feature at various times in the work of Pinter, Bennett, Barker, James and Park. And all of the writers play continually with the slipperiness of English. Their key lines always have a second meaning: darker in Pinter, sexual in Barker, criminal in James, comic in Bennett and Park. On this sample, English writing of such apparently different kinds surprisingly unites around rock buns and puns.

Until very recently, being seen to carry an English ID card so visibly might have been a handicap for these artists. If a work had too much of a whiff of the Thames and tea bags, it risked classification as retrograde, conservative or, in the ultimate insult, "Little English". Being identified too heavily with traditional language or values made a writer seem resistant to multiculturalism or pan-Europeanism and therefore a de facto racist. Read the late-career reviews and obituaries of Anthony Powell, Philip Larkin or Kingsley Amis to experience this perception of Englishness as an illness for which doctors would hopefully soon find a cure.

So what's most startling about the reviews of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (five stars out of five in most newspapers) is that almost all critics, conservative and liberal, have commended Park for his resolute parochialism and refusal to pander to the audiences of any other country on earth.

In cinema, though, the definition of Englishness is even more than usually complicated. While many film-makers here clearly did adopt mid-Atlantic tactics - even Park's film Chicken Run had an American hero - there is also a strain of movies which present an England so ridiculously English that it is recognisable only by Americans. The latest example, out this week, is Kinky Boots, in which Northampton railway station, in reality a buzzing commuter hub, is depicted as a sleepy rural halt where the platform contains a single passenger.

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, while it has the defence of being a Plasticine fantasy, is also guilty of sentimentalising and simplifying England; but unexpectedly this vision no longer feels like the concoction of a "heritage" country for export but as a heroic refusal to bend to American expectation. In a culture enraged by US arrogance and expansionism, parochialism becomes a form of radicalism and resistance.

This new fashionability - indeed even political correctness - of militant Englishness is a consequence of the Iraq war and is what links Gromit with Pinter. Twenty years ago, when the playwright first turned against the British and American governments over their foreign policy, such vociferous opposition to the special relationship was widely considered maverick or treacherous. Now Pinter's vilification of his own prime minister and the US president is broadly mainstream newspaper opinion, with only the Times consistently dissenting.

It doesn't much matter - because Pinter has written at least five indelibly great plays - but paradoxically the politicians he most detests probably helped him win the Nobel. His fierce opposition to Blair and Bush and their Iraq adventures has cleansed him of the stain of colonialism or obsolescence that modern English writers have carried internationally.

In the list of Nobel laureates on the Swedish Academy website, "Harold Pinter" is followed by "(UK)". The Curse of the Were-Rabbit will go down in movie reference books as a US-UK co-production. But that's wrong. Both are utterly and uncompromisingly English and that is what makes their astonishing success so interesting.

Windbag's at it again.

Rhodri 'Windbag' Morgan said on Dragon's Eye last night that all Welsh assembly politicians face "disgrace and humiliation" if they fail to agree a budget.

His comments came after Plaid Cymru, The Conservatives, The Lib Dems, John Marek and Peter Law united to force Labour to re-think its financial plans. They want the Brit Nat Labour Party to put more money in to education, council tax and rail.

Rhodri Morgan warned:

"In the end if the assembly politicians can't set the budget, and this is the ultimate disgrace and humiliation that falls on all of us if we can't, the permanent secretary has to... And what's the public in Wales going to think of that?

"And what are they going to say in the House of Commons when we are asking for more legislative powers if we've had to sub-contract the process of setting the budget because the politicians can't make a fist of it?"

Basically, Rhodri's saying that if you do not agree with the Brit Nat Labour Party and their spending plans, then you're a disgrace. Instead of doing the honourable thing, as the leader of a minority Government, of discussing these important issues with the opposition parties, and reaching a compromise, Rhodri won't budge!

Rhodri, you're the disgrace, and it's about time you realised that the Brit Nat Labour Party haven't got a divine right to rule in Wales!

BlogCymru.com: Blog Aggregator for Wales

Found this on the Smiling under Buses blog. Keep up the good work.



BlogCymru.com is a blog aggregator for English language blogs from Wales or about Wales. The creator Aran Jones has already set up Blogiadur.com which is an aggregator of Welsh language blogs. If your blog fits the bill, and you'd like it included then e-mail you blog's name, url and feed to: aran AT sgwarnog.com

F***ing Welshgate III

This story just won't go away, even though Labour Spin masters in london are doing everything possible to get rid of it. Yesterday it was reported in the Daily Post that Tony "F***ing Welsh" Blair may be under investigation for a "hate crime".

Today, BBC Correspondent David Cornock blogged about the issue.

David Cornock reports that Tony "F***ing Welsh" Blair offered his own advice on whether he should be charged for inciting racial hatred. Asked at a news conference if he thought it was a good use of police time and resources to investigate the comments, he said, "no".

David reports that this is unlikely to dissuade North Wales Police from doing their duty. Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom said recently in The Sunday Times:

"The government has given us laws and I think they are good laws and we must deal with that. We have to balance resources but we have definitely put more effort into hate crime. There is almost no way we could not investigate what is being reported (about Blair). It is not trivial."

Try and squirm your way out of this one Bliar!

'Top Cat' could be suspended from Assembly

It was reported on today's BBC Wales 'The Politics Show', that Brit Nat Tory AM/MP David 'Top Cat' Davies could be suspended from the Welsh Assembly, after breaching the statutory duty to promote equality of opportunity and good community relations.

Helen Mary Jones AC referred 'Top Cat' to the Welsh Assembly's standards committee after he claimed that "a significant number" of Gypsies' behaviour fell "significantly below the accepted norm". He also hinted that Gypsies had no respect for property rights or planning regulations, never cleared up their own rubbish and drove vehicles without a tax disc.

Since Then 'Top Cat' has announced plans to register himself as a "gypsy traveller" so that he can not be accused of racism when criticising Gypsies, and their way of life.

Speaking on 'The Politics Show on Sunday', Plaid AM Helen Mary Jones accused Mr Davies of giving "support and comfort to people who behave appallingly towards gypsies and travellers".

A spokesman for the Gypsy Council described Mr 'Top Cat's' comments as "distasteful", while the council's secretary, Ann Bagehot, said she considered them to be "just schoolboy thoughtlessness". She added that 'Top Cat' was "making a mockery of attempts to build bridges between gypsies and non-gypsies".

Chris Myant, director for the Commission for Racial Equality Wales, told BBC Wales:

"He’s trying to play on people’s prejudices. He’s playing games which isn’t really the way serious politicians should engage in public debate."

Brit Nat Tory David Davies criticised for 'totally ignorant' remarks.
Thursday, September 08, 2005

Constitutional mess!

Like most Welshmen, we here at Britnatwatch are overjoyed after a wonderful Welsh football win over Northern Ireland today, but we read with interest the dilemma that faced Labour British Nationalist Neath MP Peter Hain, and Delyn MP David Hanson.

Both men hold a Welsh seat but Peter Hain is also the 'Northern Ireland Secretary' and David Hanson is the 'Northern Ireland sports minister'.

This just shows once again what a complete constitutional mess we have on these Isles. Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland should have their own full Independent Parliaments.

Maybe then we would see a Northern Irish 'Northern Ireland sports minister'? It would make sense wouldn't it!

Watchdog slams change that would hand an unacceptable advantage to Labour

It was reported in the Western Mail today that the Electoral Commission is very unhappy about British Nationalist Nu Labour's plans to change Welsh Assembly election rules. Peter Hain and his Labour pals want to exclude candidates from fighting both a constituency and the list at the next Assembly elections.

In a submission responding to Labour's devolution White Paper, the Electoral Commission states:

"this may impact adversely on the quality of some constituency contests, where opposition candidates may be perceived to be 'second string'. This in turn is likely to favour sitting candidates... the change proposed favours incumbency and the current party of Assembly Government that holds the large majority of constituency seats."

They also state:

"...we would caution against any change that is perceived to be partisan and could add to the prevailing distrust of politicians."

Tory Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach, a strong supporter of devolution, said:

"Coming from an independent watchdog, this is a damning indictment of the proposal to ban candidates from standing in both sections of the ballot. The Government must be shamed into withdrawing it... it's not a matter of public policy, it's about giving an advantage to one political party."

Our website has strongly criticised this proposed change of rules. On the 25th of September we criticised the bill saying that it proposed to:

"change the electorate system, not for the benefit of Wales and democracy, but for the benefit of the Brit Nat Labour party."

We hope that this is the beginning of the end of this unjust clause, and that Peter Hain will be man enough to accept that he was wrong, and scrap it.

Cheers Blair Watch.

Our blog has received hundreds of extra hits today, after one of our stories was featured on the superb 'Blair Watch' website.







The story goes under the headline:

Was it Leighton 'Scum' Andrews' Researcher Who Ordered the Assault on Walter Wolfgang?

There is mutual hate between Blair Watch and Leighton Andrews. In July, Brit nat AM Leighton Andrews called the Blair Watch gang 'Sick Bastards' and 'Scum', after they made the obvious connection between the illegal war in Iraq, and the disgraceful acts of violence in London on the 7th of July. Dan from Blair Watch then commented on Leighton's Blog:

"'Scum' eh! From a New Labour lackey that's a compliment. Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Grahib, extraordinary rendition, state sanctioned torture, prejudice, house arrest, detention without trial, the blatant disregard for international law, refusing to count the civilian dead in our bloody wars and unflinching support for the idiot son and his neo conservative agenda etc etc. These obviously have nothing to do with what happened yesterday!? On planet New Labour, anyway..."

The Blair Watch gang probably believe that the alleged antics of Leighton's researcher - David Taylor - in the Walter Wolfgang scandal was also 'Scum', but fortunately, Blair Watch's level of debate is much higher and more constructive than Leighton Andrews and Nu Labour.

Confused Tories.

There was a very interesting article in the Western Mail today, regarding a spat that's broken out within the 'Welsh' Conservatives. The row surrounds who should succeed David Davies AM/MP as the next Tory candidate in Monmouthshire at the next Assembly elections in 2007.

The Western Mail claims that British Nationalist Conservatives in Wales leader, Nick Bourne AM, wants the Tories to become more 'Welsh' and push for greater powers for the Welsh Assembly. He favours devolution sympathiser Nick Ramsay as the Conservative candidate.

On the other hand, David Davies AM/MP, who currently holds the seat, wants to abolish the Welsh Assembly and favours devolution sceptic - South Wales East AM - Laura Anne Jones as their candidate.

This story shows, yet again, how confused the Conservatives are in Wales. After years of dissappointment, some Tories like Nick Bourne and David Melding, have finally realised that the only way to get more votes in Wales is by becoming more Welsh, and less British. But unfortunately, the vast majority of their colleagues would still prefer to see the Welsh Assembly abolished.

The Conservatives aren't the only Party confused on this issue. The British Nationalist Labour Party have recently drawn up the 'Government of Wales Bill' as an attempt to hide the divisions that exist within their Party. Some high profile members such as Carwyn Jones AM are strong supporters of devolution, while others, like Neil Kinnock, have stated that they would campaign against further devolution for Wales.

If the Tories and Labour cannot even keep their own house in order, and reach an agreement within their own party on such an important issue, what chance have they got in leading Wales out of poverty?

Effing Bill Wiggin

In today's Western Mail, British Nationalist Tory Shadow Secretary of State for Wales - Bill Wiggin - blames Labour for Wales' problems, and insists that the Conservative Party is ready to take on Labour, and be the major opposition in Wales after the 2007 Assembly elections. He says:

"Devolution was supposed to help Wales, but it's not the way Labour are doing it. Welsh patients wait 11 days longer than patients from England for treatment; twice as many hospital consultant vacancies; 64 schools closed... It's not the effing Welsh that's the problem, Tony, it's the effing Labour Party."

We agree with him that the Labour Party have made a mess of running Wales since '97 both in Westminster and later the Welsh Assembly; but what about the 18 years prior to that? Who was in charge then Bill?

And what's Bill's answer to the 'Wales Problem'? Abolishing the Welsh Assembly!

The British Parties have let Wales down badly over the years, and as a consequence, we are now one of the poorest regions in the EU! We need a strong Welsh Parliament. Only then will we be equipped to deal with the problems that face Wales today.

F***ing Welshgate II

We are amazed at the incompetence of the Brit Nat Labour Party in Wales. It seems Tony 'f***ing Welsh' Blair can do absolutely anything, and the Brit Nat Welsh Labour Party will go back to him like a whipped dog - just wanting a little cwtch and a pat on the head. What Blair is to Bush, Rhodri 'windbag' Morgan is to Blair. A yapping little dog that just wants to be loved by its owner!

Don't the Brit Nat Welsh Labour members get it? They're just there to make up the numbers - the British Nationalist Labour Party don't give a damn about you and treat you with contempt. England is essentially a Christian Democrat country; Labour just needs the votes from Scotland and Wales to stay in power. That's it. Period!

And still, they keep on going back for more. What kind of deep Freudian psychology is there in the Brit Nat Welsh Labour Party that creates this condition of self-hate? They're communally insulted, but don't ever complain.

What kind of deep psychological problem makes grown men and women allow themselves to be treated so humiliatingly - and yes, even make excuses on behalf of the bully? Oh, yes, of course it's called British Nationalism. After all, even being called f***ing Welsh is better, and more acceptable, than being called a Welsh Nat!

F***ing Welshgate I

We're still thinking here at Brit-nat-watch about the f***ing Welshgate rant by the Leader of the British Nationalist Labour Party.

The Western Mail printed Labour’s ‘truth’ about the incident, and it seems Brit Nat Labourites are trying to fob it off saying that it was Blair’s frustration with Welsh Labour rather than the Welsh nation that led to the outburst.

Some may think it's harsh to accuse Blair of being anti-Welsh or inciting racial hatred. But then, is Dafydd Iwan anti Pakistani, was he condoning white-flight? No, but that didn't stop the Brit Nats at the Labour Party from making out his speech at the Meifod Eisteddfod was a speech in favour of the white-flighters.

I don’t think Blair is racist or anti Welsh; as long as that Welshness is the Wales Labour music-hall Welshness and as long as the Welsh keep on being voting fodder to Labour in London. As one correspondent to the Western Mail said about Blair’s moment of madness, it was like shouting a similar obscenity at a rugby match – and who hasn’t done that?

There’s an element of truth in this Labour spin and I can’t imagine that Blair is the only high ranking Labour member who thinks the Wales Labour Party are incompetent. But one thing stands out, and is the reason so many people are incensed by the f***ing Welshgate.

What if a Plaid Cymru member had said f***ing English? Yes, I’m sure Brit Nat Labour AMs and MPs would have been so understanding. Funny, where are Alun Pugh, Huw Lewis, Leighton Andrews, Martyn Jones, David Hanson, Don Touhig, Carl Sargeant and all the other Brit Nats now – why aren’t they attacking Blair?

Where is the union jack waving CRE? After all if Welsh nationalists can be accused of fermenting discord or racism, then can’t the same be said of Blair’s tantrum as well? Or is it one rule for the Welsh and another against the Welsh?

These members of the Labour Party, show no remorse in misquoting or quoting out of context and playing the Welsh equivalent of the orange card when any Welsh nationalists say anything that hasn’t been vetted by the expected colonialist orthodoxy of Wales Labour.

If Labour hadn’t been so dirty and mischievous then maybe the ‘frustration with Welsh Labour’ would be accepted by others outside the party. But that isn’t the case. So, good on Cymuned for reporting Blair to the Metropolitan Police.

Some may complain that Welsh politics is sliding into a swamp of mud slinging. But if so it’s all down to the Brit Nat Labour’s strategy of dirty tricks, newspeak and misquotation.

Brit Nat AM's Researcher - David Taylor - orders the removal of Walter Wolfgang

We've received reports, that David Taylor - Labour AM Leighton Andrews' researcher - was the Labour party official who instructed the stewards to remove 88 year old Walter Wolfgang from the British Nationalist Labour Party conference.

Apparently Taylor was watching the speech live on Sky News outside the conference hall, and shouted in to his radio:

"You can hear the f***ing heckling on Sky News. Shut them up, or take them out."

We have been given this information by a media source, who also said that David Taylor returned to the Welsh Assembly today, but wouldn't talk to anyone about the incident. It is rumoured that Taylor's actions could mean that he loses his job as Andrews' researcher. Maybe this will allow him the necessary time to improve his blog?

Labour - German or Welsh?

Do a search on Google for Welsh Labour and the first two links are:

www.waleslabourparty.org.uk
www.welshlabour.org.uk

The first site was used by the British Labour Party in Wales, but somone forgot to pay the domain renewal fees. The domain is now taken by a German search engine!!!





Just to make matters worse for Nu 'pensioner bashing' Labour, the links from the official BRITISH Labour site, to the 'Welsh' information, point to the 'German' site. Press on the AM links to see - it's the same for all AM links! And doesn't Nia Griffith look rather odd in that picture ;-)

Labour Party in Llanelli
Labour Party in Preseli-Pembrokeshire

Worse still, Alun Pugh URGED the wru.co.uk to create a bilingual website, as reported in the WM last November, and then 'Welsh' Labour create an English only site! So what is their official view (in English) on the Welsh Language? NUFF SAID!

PS. Leighton Andrews, don't give us the bull:

"Welsh Labour has been hugely supportive of the Welsh language in recent years."

The facts speak for themselves!